Know the Ideal Time to Install Radiant Heating

If you’d like to increase your wintertime home comfort, radiant heating is a solution worth investigating. In the past, radiant systems had to be embedded in a concrete slab, which meant they could only be installed in warmer weather.

The technology has advanced, though, and now you can install radiant heating any time of year. The two most common types are:

Hydronic systems have a boiler that heats water to 100-120 degrees. The hot water is pumped through tubing that’s placed on top of the existing slab in cement, or installed under a subfloor. The latest installation advancement uses thin prefab subfloor panels with embedded tubing. Hydronic systems are the more efficient way to heat an entire house.

Electric systems employ electric resistance cables installed under the flooring or embedded in conductive plastic mats placed on the subfloor. Electric systems are ideal to warm a single room or a home addition if extending the existing heating system isn’t practical.

Radiant Heating Benefits

Greater comfort. The warmth from a radiant system spreads upward from the floor into your home’s structural components and fixtures and your furnishings, which ends issues like cold spots and temperature fluctuations.

Healthier air quality. Because there’s no air movement with radiant heating, allergens, dust and pollutants don’t get circulated in the air supply. This makes breathing easier for anyone with allergies, asthma or other respiratory troubles.

Better heating efficiency. Forced-air systems can lose up to 30 percent of its heat output through leaks and conduction in the ductwork. With radiant heating, this energy waste is eliminated.

Easy zoning. Radiant heating in a single room creates an instant zone. Hydronic systems give you the option of zoning the entire house with ease.

Flexible fuel options. If you opt for a hydronic system, you can choose a heat source like a wood- or gas-fired boiler, a solar water heater, or even multiple sources for greater flexibility and self-reliance.